Unit 5 Assignment

In this unit, you will be encouraged to explore leadership opportunities at all levels of the counseling profession. At the national level, you can submit your application to serve on an ACA national committee as a student member. Usually, the call for applicants comes out in the Fall each year. Reach out to your state branch or ACA division leadership and express your interest in getting involved. Remember that leadership could take many forms. Examples include serving on a journal editorial board, writing a professional newsletter article, presenting at a professional conference, advocating for the profession or clients we serve, contributing to a committee as a member or chairperson, or becoming an officer of a counseling association. Depending on your time, availability, and expertise, find a leadership opportunity that brings you joy. Consider stretching yourself a little for leadership growth and find mentors that will support you in your leadership development. Your leadership journey will last your entire career; pace yourself.

1. Identify a niche area that you want to further by contributing your time, energy, and resources. This could be a similar area as your proposed dissertation topic, your clinical specialty, and/or counselor education classes that you want to teach.

American Trucking Associations https://www.trucking.org/advocate

2. Include the avenues and opportunities for professional leadership at the local, state, and national levels through professional counseling associations or other mental health initiatives that are aligned with your niche area. (CACREP 6.b)

https://www.cacrep.org/section-6-doctoral-standards-counselor-education-and-supervision/

Resources

· Gibson, D. M., Dollarhide, C. T., Moss, J. M., Aras, Y., & Mitchell, T. (2018). Examining leadership with American Counseling Association presidents: A grounded theory of leadership identity development. Journal of Counseling & Development, 96(4), 361–371.

· Lambert, S. (2018). Leadership in the counseling profession. Counseling Today, 61(4), 5–41.

· McKibben, W. B., Webber, W. B., & Wahesh, E. (2017).  Exploring CSI chapter leaders' development toward leadership excellence . Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy, 4(1), 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/2326716X.2017.1282332

· Peters, H. C., & Vereen, L. G. (2020, June 7). Counseling leadership and professional counselor identity: A phenomenological study. Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy. https://doi.org/10.1080/2326716X.2020.1770143

Use the Internet to read the following:

· American Counseling Association. (n.d.). Committees. https://www.counseling.org/about-us/governance-bylaws/committees

· American Counseling Association. (n.d.). Committee nominations and appointments. https://www.counseling.org/about-us/governance-bylaws/committees/committee-nominations-and-appointments

· American Counseling Association. (n.d.). Divisions, regions and branches. https://www.counseling.org/about-us/divisions-regions-and-branches